Women's Commission Stands Against the Silencing of Women in Church and the World

by

Perspectives

A Letter from the General Secretary

Dear Friend,

I sat on my couch in disbelief as I watched the CNN reporter interviewing Doug Wilson, cofounder of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), explain his views on women and the world. In the interview, views were expressed that said women shouldn’t be legally allowed to vote, women should not be in leadership within the church, and women do not have unequivocal equal value to men in all ways. Shocked, I sent the video to my husband and asked, “Is this real?”

Days later it would be clear how real it was when United States Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, reposted the video. It has been reported, Hegseth is “a proud member of a church” that is affiliated with CREC and he “very much appreciates many of Mr. Wilson’s writings and teachings.” 

In that moment, all I could think of was, “This. This is why The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (GCSRW) of the United Methodist Church exists.”  

We exist because, whether in the Church or in society at large, women still face discrimination, harassment, and abuse. There are still people who absolutely believe women are less than men, and claim their faith and Scripture support those views. These views are not only demeaning, they are dangerous, not just to women, but to ALL people.

In simple terms GCSRW is here to make sure The United Methodist Church models to all the world that women are valued and belong in every place of leadership.  It is always fascinating to me how quickly some want to supplant, undermine, and deny women’s actual role in our sacred text.

  • For it was through five faithful daughters of Zelophehad that the Hebrew Law was rewritten to allow women to inherit property, keeping them from being destitute.
  • It was through a woman’s clever and courageous leadership that the Hebrew people were not slaughtered in the Book of Esther.
  • It was through love that Ruth, an immigrant and foreigner, who participated in an “unbiblical marriage” became the grandmother to David and a part of the lineage of Jesus.
  • It was through an unmarried, teenage, pregnant woman that the Savior, Jesus, was born. It was that same young mother who sang to her son about injustices being made right and the poor being lifted up, helping shape his ethos and ethic for justice for those cast aside.
  • It was through the persistent Syrophoenician mother that Jesus was taught a deeper way of seeing people when she convinced him to heal her daughter.
  • It was through a woman’s tears and expensive oil that Jesus was anointed for his death.
  • It was through Mary, who had the faith to draw near the tomb, that the Good News was first carried back to others, becoming the first apostle of our faith.
  • And it was through women like Junia, Lydia, Phoebe, Lois, and Eunice that the early church had means and leadership to operate.

Women appear throughout Scripture as leaders, proclaimers, preachers, financers, prophets, and apostles. Just as we cannot diminish the reality of women doing God’s work across history, there is no justification for treating women as less than anyone else, restricting their roles in the church or society, or taking away their legal right to vote. Yet throughout our patriarchal history, it has been all too common for those seeking power to suppress others—often claiming that faith demands it because that is how God preordained it.

It is a gross misrepresentation of our sacred text, void of context and Biblical scholarship and understanding. This kind of ideology and theology leads to discrimination, harassment, subjugation, and abuse not only for women, but for all minority groups. As long as persons are espousing this sort of rhetoric and leadership there will be a need for agencies like GCSRW so that we can continue to challenge the Church and society, supporting women towards full and equitable participation within the Church and world.   

One of the tangible ways you can help push back against the popularizing of these extreme Christian Nationalistic views of women is to support GCSRW with your prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Specifically: 

  • Make a donation to support our worldwide work, and the development of resources translated into multiple languages.
  • Follow us on social media and share our resources at www.gcsrw.org with your faith community.  
  • Join our monthly Coffee Chats online to engage in the conversation.
  • Speak up when you see discrimination, harassment or abuse. If you need support from discrimination, harassment or abuse within the United Methodist Church please call our confidential number at 1-800-523-8390.

Friends, we are not alone in this struggle. GCSRW is committed to being present along the path towards healing and wholeness for each of us. We will continue to stand up and speak out anytime there are those who seek to make women look and feel small claiming it is the will of God.

It is not. Thanks be to God. Amen! 

The Rev. Stephanie York Arnold is  General Secretary (top executive) of the General Commission on Status and Role of Women of The United Methodist Church. This article is republished from the commission's website.